How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese: Easy 4-Ingredient Recipe
A creamy, nutty sprinkle that elevates pastas, salads, and more with effortless flavor.
How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Whether you’re lactose-intolerant, vegan, or simply looking for ways to clean up your diet, vegan parmesan cheese provides a delicious, savory, and health-conscious alternative to conventional dairy-based parmesan. Using just four pantry staples, you can create a crumbly, cheesy topping perfect for pasta dishes, pizza, salads, roasted vegetables, and more. This easy homemade recipe comes together in minutes, stores well, and can be customized to suit your taste preferences.
Why Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese at Home?
- Quick and Easy: Ready in 5 minutes or less.
- Few Ingredients: Made with only four accessible, wholesome ingredients.
- Versatile: Perfect for a wide range of savory dishes.
- Dairy-Free & Vegan: Ideal for plant-based lifestyles or those with dairy allergies.
- Customizable: Adjust flavors and textures to your liking.
Ingredients
This classic recipe calls for just four key ingredients. Each is easy to find in most grocery stores and together they create the perfect balance of nutty, salty, and cheesy flavors:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews: Preferably unsalted, these nuts form the creamy, crumbly base.
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast: Supplies the essential cheesy, umami flavor that makes this recipe sing.
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt: Enhances overall taste and mimics parmesan’s saltiness.
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder: Adds subtle depth and savory complexity.
Note: Raw cashews work best for their mild taste and soft crumble, but you can experiment with other nuts or seeds if you have allergies.
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Pulse until a fine meal is achieved – be careful not to blend too much or the mixture will become a paste. You’re aiming for a texture similar to store-bought grated parmesan cheese.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps fresh for several weeks.
That’s it! In under five minutes, you’ll have a tangy, nutty, and salty vegan parmesan cheese ready to elevate all your favorite meals.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Do not overmix: Stop pulsing as soon as the mixture is finely ground. Overmixing will release too much oil from the nuts and turn it into a paste.
- Other flavor options: Feel free to add herbs like dried oregano, basil, or a touch of red pepper flakes for additional flavor complexity.
- Alternate nuts and seeds: While cashews yield the best texture and mild taste, try substituting unsalted almonds, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, or even hemp seeds for variety.
- No food processor? A high-speed blender can work, but avoid over-blending. Some small blenders yield a courser meal, which still tastes great!
Storage and Shelf Life
Your homemade vegan parmesan cheese will last for several weeks when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The cold temperature helps preserve the flavor and prevents the nuts from going rancid. If you don’t use it all up in that time, especially for larger batches, you can also freeze it for up to a month.
| Storage Method | Recommended Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | 2–4 weeks | Best freshness and flavor |
| Freezer | Up to 1 month | Longer storage, thaw before use |
Ways to Use Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Vegan parmesan cheese is a must-have topping for your favorite Italian and comfort dishes. Here are some popular uses:
- Pasta: Sprinkle liberally over spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni, or any pasta dish. It pairs especially well with tomato-based sauces and creamy vegan Alfredo.
- Pizza: Add a generous layer to freshly baked pizza or flatbreads – either before or after baking for added cheesy flavor.
- Salads: Toss into Caesar salad, kale salads, or grain bowls for a savory crunch.
- Soups and Stews: Swirl into minestrone, veggie soups, or creamy vegetable bisque for extra depth.
- Vegetable Dishes: Sprinkle over roasted cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, or baked potatoes.
- Breadsticks and Garlic Bread: Use as a topping before baking for irresistible flavor.
- Vegan Meatballs or Casseroles: Add to binding mixtures or use as a garnish on top.
Get creative! You can use vegan parmesan anywhere you’d typically use traditional parmesan cheese. It adds a punch of flavor, texture, and plant-based nutrition to both classic and modern recipes alike.
Nutrition Information
This recipe produces about 1 cup of vegan parmesan cheese in total. Here is the approximate nutrition profile per 1-tablespoon serving:
What others are reading
| Serving Size | Calories | Fat | Carbohydrates | Protein | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 44 | 3 g | 3 g | 1.8 g | 92 mg |
Micronutrients: This vegan cheese is rich in B-vitamins (from nutritional yeast), magnesium, and healthy plant fats from cashews. It contains zero cholesterol, is naturally gluten-free, and is lower in fat and sodium than many store-bought vegan cheese products.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can I use roasted cashews instead of raw?
A: Raw cashews are ideal for the mildest taste and best texture. Roasted cashews can work in a pinch, but they’ll produce a toastier, slightly stronger flavor and a darker color.
Q: Is there a nut-free version?
A: Absolutely. For a nut-free alternative, try raw sunflower seeds or hemp seeds in place of cashews. The flavor will change subtly, but the texture will be similar.
Q: What makes nutritional yeast taste cheesy?
A: Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast packed with vitamins and protein, prized for its natural cheesy, umami notes and its ability to mimic the taste of dairy cheese in vegan recipes.
Q: How should I store it for maximum freshness?
A: Keep your vegan parmesan cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Avoid exposure to moisture or heat. For longer storage, freeze it and use as needed.
Q: Can I double or triple the recipe?
A: Yes! Scale the ingredients as desired. Just make sure not to overload your food processor, and store any surplus in the fridge or freezer.
Variation Ideas
This classic recipe is only the beginning. Personalize your vegan parmesan cheese to suit your favorite cuisines or dietary needs:
- Yeast-Free Parmesan: If you want to avoid nutritional yeast, blend raw cashews with dried herbs (such as oregano, basil), garlic powder, sea salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice.
- Seed-Based Parmesan: Use hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds as the base to create a nut-free version. Great for school-friendly meals!
- Herb-Infused Parmesan: Stir in a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, or fresh (chopped) herbs if consuming immediately. Fresh herbs decrease shelf life, so use only as needed.
- Spicy Parmesan: Add 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or a dash of smoked paprika for a kick of flavor.
Delicious Recipes That Use Vegan Parmesan Cheese
Mingle your new favorite dairy-free cheese with these crowd-pleasing dishes:
- Vegan Pesto Parmesan Breadsticks
References
- https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-vegan-parmesan-cheese/
- https://minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-vegan-parmesan-cheese/
- https://minimalistbaker.com/yeast-free-cashew-parmesan-5-minutes/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn31Cx_FQt4
- https://www.tiktok.com/@minimalistbaker/video/7116900751229619502
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